Two teenagers have been killed while 10 others were injured when a bolt of lightning struck a football field in one of South Africa’s most beautiful provinces that is also home to the Kruger National Park.

The incident took place in the town of Sheepmoor in the South African province of Mpumalanga at around 6pm on 20th November.

According to the medical care provider ER24, two 18-year-olds were killed and 10 others were injured in the lightning strike.

ER24 said in a statement on the day of the incident: “This afternoon, two men were killed and 10 others injured when they were struck by lightning on a soccer field in Sheepmoor, Mpumalanga.

“ER24 and the Provincial EMS arrived on the scene shortly after 18h00 to find two men lying beneath a tree while ten others were scattered around the soccer field.

“Unfortunately, nothing could be done for them, and they were declared dead.”

The 10 victims had injuries ranging from serious to minor and were “transported to Ermelo Provincial Hospital for urgent treatment”, according to ER24, who added: “The local authorities were on the scene for further investigations.”

The authorities advised families how to keep safe during an electrical storm, warning that they should never seek shelter under trees, in open fields, or on high ground.

Mpumalanga, meaning ‘the place where the sun rises’, borders Mozambique and Eswatini, makes up 6.5 percent of the country’s land mass.

The picturesque province boasts beauty spots such as the Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve, the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park, and some of the best wildlife sites in southern Africa.

The Kruger National Park, founded in 1898 and also within the border of Limpopo Province, covers an area of 7,700 square miles and is considered a popular tourist destination. Another hotspot for visitors to Mpumalanga is the Sudwala Caves.